Why This Normally Mundane Chore Gives Me Awesome Mom Power

I would not exactly be what you call a neat freak. A bit of a germophobe, yes, but not a neat freak. This is why it is surprising to me that I have come to realize my love for running the sweeper, and as I reflect more deeply on my life as  a mom, here are my three reasons why I enjoy it so much.  

Musclemen… have you ever stepped on one of these bad boys?

1. The visible effects. There’s crap all over the floor.   Crumbs, toys, cat hair, and who knows what else. It is a mess, and I have the POWER to eliminate it.   There is so very little that I feel I have power over these days as a mom of two toddlers. The little dictators run my life on a daily basis. Every minute is determined by their momentary whims. “I need a drink.” As I perform my duty, a cry erupts from a small throat, “Not the pink cup!” and then two seconds later, “Where’s my pink cup!?” It’s madness. But, I can sweep up the floor, see that all the garbage has been removed from the rugs and hardwoods, and even if it is only short lived until the next meal or toddler walks through the room, there has been a visual improvement to my environment.   

Winner? Why yes, yes I am!

2. It gives me a sense of accomplishment.   The day of a SAHM mom is a whirlwind. Even the best intentions of a plan do not necessarily mean that anything will truly go the way it is intended. Between potty breaks, long unrelaxing meals, playing games you don’t really feel like playing, and being a referee between some seriously volatile toddler brawls, the day may almost completely escape me without having “gotten anything done.” So, I pull out the sweeper. There is always something to suck up, and after doing so, I can place my hands on my mom hips, look around for a second, and feel like I have accomplished something.  

3. Noise: sweet, sweet noise. Sweepers are loud.   So are my toddlers.   This beautiful symphony of vacuous noise drowns out the whining, complaining, shrieking and squealing for a just a little bit.   “What’s that honey? The sweeper is on. Mommy can’t hear you. Just a second, ok?” I reply to the moving lips that accompany the little body trying to get my attention. If anything truly catastrophic occurs, nothing can hold back the orchestra that accompanies it, so my girls are not in any danger as Mommy sucks up dirt and debris along to her new favorite soundtrack.

So while this may be just a mundane chore that I once never thought twice about, I now realize that running the sweeper, for this SAHM, does not suck!

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Patricia Wood

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

An educator since 2004, now turned stay at home mom to my two toddler daughters, I spend my time chasing my girls while trying to be a stellar wife and “fly” mom. There are successes and failures, and a lot of 90's rap.